Chapter 385

Chapter 385: Secret Silver Mine

"Stop! Don’t let that person escape!"

"Come here and face the consequences!"

Along the way, Ji Yang heard the shouts of other cultivators, accompanied by the sounds of battles.

Although the secret realm was not small, many cultivators had entered.

With various cultivators present, some were there for profit, while others had existing feuds.

It was common for cultivators to battle each other.

However, when Ji Yang encountered such situations, he quickly slipped away.

At full speed, Ji Yang moved as fast as a late Void Refinement stage cultivator. With the boost of the Art of Ascension, even late Void Refinement stage cultivators would find it hard to catch up with him unless they used their true abilities.

If not for the encirclement of the three elders, Ji Yang believed he could have easily escaped.

To save time, Ji Yang did not hide his presence.

Many of the fighters paused and looked at him warily upon sensing Ji Yang’s approach.

But before they could clearly see his figure, Ji Yang flew past like a gust of wind.

This made both sides stop momentarily, but they quickly continued their fight as if they hadn’t seen him.

During this time, Ji Yang also sensed several ferocious beasts hidden within the secret realm.

Even in the lower layers, many of their presences felt quite dangerous to Ji Yang.

Ferocious beasts possessed a sense of territory and displayed their aura upon detecting Ji Yang’s proximity, trying to scare him off.

However, to save time, Ji Yang continued on his path, relying on his own strength, charging past and leaving behind a chorus of howls from the beasts.

This, however, caused other passing cultivators to suffer greatly, cursing under their breath.

After a day, Ji Yang exited the Black Soil Marsh, and at that moment, he was only half a day’s journey from his target mine.

Once he left the Black Soil Marsh, he noticed the surroundings changed significantly. No longer the gloomy scene, it resembled the Cultivation World much more, with even better scenery.

Ji Yang did not linger and continued flying toward his destination.

On his journey, Ji Yang, lost in thought, slightly raised his concealed cultivation level.

The Foundation Establishment stage stood out too much in this secret realm, even more so than the late Void Refinement stage cultivators, making him more likely to attract attention.

After all, the lowest level cultivators entering this secret realm had reached the Late Golden Core stage, and these cultivators were scarce, being the talented disciples of large sects.

Their potential for growth might be more worth cultivating than some Nascent Soul Transformation stage cultivators; some sects might even send other disciples to protect these budding talents.

After some contemplation, Ji Yang raised his level to the Golden Core stage.

Now that he had entered the secret realm, it was normal for him to gain some opportunities.

After leaving the Black Soil Marsh, the number of cultivators Ji Yang encountered decreased significantly. He didn’t know if they were hiding or seeking their own opportunities.

Half a day later, Ji Yang saw his destination—a mountain that appeared to be a light silver color.

Undoubtedly, this was the Secret Silver Mine he had been searching for.

The light silver hue came from the soil mixed with traces of secret silver ore, but the intact pieces of the secret silver ore shone bright silver and were quite smooth, with a tight texture, far superior to the mixed ore around it.

Ji Yang felt delighted and quickened his pace once more.

Before he got close, he noticed about ten figures gathering at the foot of the mountain.

Ji Yang was slightly taken aback.

But after a moment of thought, he understood.

The Secret Silver Mine was considered a high-quality ore in the Cultivation World, excellent for refining magical tools, artifacts, or incorporating into Formations.

Moreover, since this mine was rare, it was not commonly found, and whatever existed was mostly in the hands of large sects, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to find. Its price in the outside world must be significantly higher than that of ordinary ores.

Furthermore, mining here did not incur punishment, and the mined ores didn’t need to be submitted to anyone, allowing cultivators to keep them for themselves.

So, it was clear that some cultivators, either unable to find other opportunities or seeking stability, chose to mine here.

If they mined enough secret silver ore, they would stand a chance against others looking for opportunities, or even surpass them.

As Ji Yang approached the crowd and sensed the realms of the cultivators present, his earlier speculation turned into reality.

The ten or so cultivators came from various sects but did not hold high cultivation levels; most were at the Nascent Soul Stage, with a few at the Mid Spirit Transformation realm.

However, these Mid Spirit Transformation realm cultivators came from larger sects and were not the disciples of top-tier sects. In contrast, many of the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators were from the three major sects and the six demonic sects, while Ji Yang saw no disciple from the He Dao Sect.

It seemed that even those in top-tier sects weren’t having an easy time; otherwise, why else would they come here to mine?

What puzzled Ji Yang was why they did not go inside to mine but instead stayed outside.

At that moment, the group noticed Ji Yang’s arrival and turned to look at him.

Upon seeing Ji Yang’s attire, many cultivators showed excitement. As a disciple from the He Dao Sect, his speed suggested he was a high-level cultivator, possibly holding promise.

However, when Ji Yang stopped, many cultivators sensed his realm.

Being at the Golden Core Stage was rather low.

Seeing the disappointment in the faces of many, they quickly withdrew their gazes.

The change in expressions further puzzled Ji Yang, leaving him confused about what was happening there.

Just as Ji Yang was about to ask a cultivator for information, a Mid Spirit Transformation realm cultivator stepped forward and spoke sternly to the crowd:

"Hmph, the Qianji Gate is truly too much, thinking they can monopolize this Secret Silver Mine!"

"Fellow Daoists, does anyone have a senior brother nearby? I’m willing to pay spiritual stones to ask for help! Let’s get our fairness back!"

Hearing the words of this Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator, a disciple from the Diamond Sect immediately spoke up:

"I know many Void Refinement stage seniors from my sect, but they have already gone to the Mid or Upper layers of the secret realm and are not lingering in the lower layers."

Another person also shook his head:

"Before I entered the secret realm, I traveled with a Void Refinement stage senior who said he would stay in the lower layers for a few days, but communication talismans are useless here, and that senior went in the opposite direction, making it impossible to contact him."

Hearing this, other cultivators sighed in agreement. Most high-level cultivators entered the secret realm to seek the essence of the Way; the Mid or Upper layers were their true destinations.

They hadn’t expected to encounter such an issue.

As the crowd discussed animatedly, Ji Yang quickly learned about the situation.

A Void Refinement stage cultivator from the Qianji Gate had occupied the Secret Silver Mine, forbidding other disciples from mining.

This had resulted in so many cultivators gathering outside the mine, yet their cultivation levels were low, making it dangerous to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Additionally, another mine was quite far from this location.